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There is not an official “not expected to play” list tonight, since so many players are not expected to play. Already, Larry Fitzgerald is on the field without even having his uniform on, and Bruce Arians said earlier in the week no starters would play (although I would guess there might be one or two.)

That’s not the only change tonight. Because of the circumstances of it both being a fourth preseason game and because the Cardinals have to face the Chargers again in the regular-season opener, Arians decided to hand over the reins of playcalling duties to offensive coordinator Harold Goodwin tonight. It’s the first time in many, many years Arians has not called plays. He made clear when he showed up in Arizona he would be calling plays, and that will remain true. (The last time Arians wasn’t in a position to call plays was 2006 in Pittsburgh, when he was wide receivers coach and the offensive coordinator/play caller was a man named Ken Whisenhunt.)

“It’s going to be different for me,” Arians said.

This not only gives Goodwin a chance to practice doing it for the first time, but it also helps the Cards somewhat in the the back-to-back Charger battles. It’s hard to get a read on what the Cardinals like to call in certain situations if the playcaller changes.

“This will screw up the computer pretty good for three days,” Arians said.

Arians will of course be calling the plays Sept. 8. Already, Arians said the offensive game plan will be basic and tailored to things rookie quarterback Logan Thomas is comfortable with. It’ll be an interesting thing to watch for tonight.

— Arians also said Tyrann Mathieu will not play tonight. No need to rush him.

Thought it was great that BA had Goodwin call the plays. As we have seen over the past few years especially, sometimes there is a need for someone to step up temporarily in the coach’s shoes and better to be prepared. I’m a BIG believer in inhouse training and education of support staff and delegation of duties to help assistants grow. Preseason is a great time to train personnel other than just the players in real time, real game situations. It also frees up the HC to allow him more time to watch and evaluate the subtle nuances that can make a difference. Kudos to BA on this one!